Another year has past as owner of no. 89 (time flies!!!!!) and I wanted to do another update to reflect the second year of life with a V6.
I think another year has changed my views slightly, if anything its really made me appreciate what a special beast the car is. I've driven it a fair bit less than last year which has made each drive that bit more special. Also ive driven a lot of other cars this year from the works pool cars so the contrast of getting back into the vee is highlighted!!
The first year of ownership was more about the excitement, now I feel more privaledged. It really is a crazy car to own. So impratical, but so great.
Not being able to fit anything in it when you have a passenger has ment that the car has not seen much everyday use recently, part of growing older I think.
When you take it out to play, fire it up, put the windows down…. there's no car that I've ever been in that’s given such a good feeling and cleared my mind of any stress. Its just an utter joy. I still can't stop looking at it, I don’t think id ever not stare at one no matter how many I see.
I've been on a few 700 odd mile round trips in the car the past year . I drove Snakes Pass in a convoy of vees as well as through the Hawes/Settle through the Peaks & Yorkshire. I feel I learnt alot about the vee that weekend and really how to leather it round some proper bends (we don't have roads like that near me!!!).
Minus the odd incident and moment where the car was behaving like an 8 year old French car, it has again been relatively hassle free motoring. It seems to lap up the longer journeys & I've not had a coil go this year either.
I've undertaken a series of mod's to the car this year to freshen it up when it hit 50k miles. The mods were a trial at times, but worth it in the end!
The engine mods required bespoke mapping, which at first seemed to create a lumpy idle. After many, many man hours, the lumpy idle was found to be the fault of simple fuel valve, which was replaced and the car has runs like it should.
In the past 12 months ive done:
- PH2 gearbox taken from a 2005 model (
- Rare TWR Development PH2 intake plenum, PH2/Porsche throttle body, PH2 gaskets, PH2 fuel rails, Samco hoses, inlet ports polished
- Janspeed exhaust system (back box and manifolds)
- Pipercross Evo Viper induction kit
- Dastek Unichip Piggyback ECU- to manage fuelling and extract the extra power from the modifications - Live custom mapped by Owen developments to 253bhp
- EBC Red stuff brake pads
- PH2 rear lights, PH2 rear bumper grilles and boot surround
- Streamline Carbon fog light surrounds
- Spare rear engine cover with clear Perspex window
- All round wheel refurb
- Front and rear bumper respray
- Front splitter
- Window Detint
Again, I've taken the car to SG Motorsport and Scott bent over backwards to help with the mod's. I can't recommend them highly enough to other V6's owners for anything V6 related!
Despite manufactures claims, similarly to 1*2's not meeting the claimed power figures, both PH1 and PH2 vee's are typically 10-20bhp down on book figures, so at 23bhp over, this is now a very healthy V6.
The revs whip round much quicker and its more of a riot to drive. The sound it makes is superb, on idle and pottering around its very quiet and not intrusive, above 3.5k rpm it comes alive. The combination of induction roar, the 3.0 v6 right next to you and the rasping, popping exhaust is sublime! The Janspeed exhaust I rate very highly, its loud when you want it to be, but doesn’t give you a headache like the quicksilver sport and super sport exhausts do from low frequency drone.
The PH1 gearbox has longer ratios than the PH2 and is probably the main difference in acceleration between the PH1 & PH2 V6. The PH2 gearbox is a great, although very expensive upgrade to the PH1. Pulls better in 2nd and 3rd and is a pleasure to work with.
The PH2 intake plenum also means I can now access all 6 coils in the event of one going. The stand PH1 intake plenum obstructs 3 of the coils and is a major pain for the non mechanically minded to access.
The mod's have changed the feel of the car, it feels abit of a more raw focused beast. It feels and sounds more dirty and industrial. With the covers on its still up to the task of daily driving but i've really taken to driving it with no rear covers on at all. First time I did it, I just thought it sounded rattley, but now I find it makes it such more an experience. So loud and raw, you feel more at involved hearing everything that’s going on first hand. Its not suitable for long drives on a hot day though!
I've run with a bespoke front splitter for 6 months and it really helps pin the wayward front end down when on the motorway, although it rubs on the floor with changes of gradient in car parks.
I am still of the opinion that the handling horror stories you read on the PH1 V6 are not really justified. If you drive to the conditions and brake in a straight line...you will never have any issues. Whilst I think they are capable daily drivers, I also think they make a better weekend car.
The longer I live with the PH1, the more appeal I think it has over the PH2. I would say all day that the PH2 is the more complete car, but there's just something about the PH1 that gets me.
Insurance wise im now paying a little over £500 with mods declared which is very resonable, probably helped by becoming old and turning 27!!
Very sadly it looks like I will have to part with the V6 this year as it’s a large chunk of money I could do with for a deposit on a house. I'll put the car up for sale properly in spring time when the weather is better. Hopefully get in a few more meets in the meantime!! Obviously with the mod's, this car is a bit of a special beast now so I'm not expecting it to sell as quickly as a standard example and am in no rush.
One day id like to think I would have the chance to return to ownership once this one has gone, maybe in a PH2, maybe in a PH1. If looking for a "weekend toy" in the 8-13k bracket, I don’t think there's many more rewarding ownership experiences than a V6. The only car that I would prefer is a 5 turbo 2, but chances are I'll return to V6 ownership before heading down that route!
